VOA标准英语2012--Many Skeptical Syria Cease-Fire Will Hold

Many Skeptical¹ Syria Cease-Fire Will Hold

As the world waits to see if envoy² Kofi Annan's brokered³ cease-fire will hold, Syrian opposition⁴ activists⁶ say while they support his efforts, they do not believe the plan will ultimately succeed. 

"We wanted to give them a little time despite the fact that so many people are dying on the ground and in the streets that it is necessary to give the international community some time to find out if diplomacy⁷ is not going to work," explained Syrian activist⁵ Ammar Abdulhamid.

The government of Bashar al-Assad says it will honor the cease-fire with conditions: it reserves the right to defend itself against what it says are the terrorists behind the uprising. 

If the fighting does resume, many are asking what next? 

Russia and China have blocked action by the United Nation Security Council. The Obama administration has offered humanitarian⁸ assistance and communications equipment. 

But while visiting a refugee camp in Turkey this week, U.S. Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman said the Annan plan is failing, and called for arming the opposition. 

"The only way to reverse this situation is by helping⁹ the Syrian opposition to change the military balance of power on the ground," said McCain.

Some in the opposition say that neither diplomacy nor military force alone will bring down the Assad government. Ammar Abdulhamid says they must be used together. 

"When there is an actual threat of force or force being used, I think then we might see the possibility of the Assads listening because they can see a threat," Abdulhamid added. "They can see the seriousness of the international community. They don't just hear words."

But there are concerns about arming the opposition.

Emira Woods with the progressive Institute for Policy Studies says arming opposition factions¹⁰ is impossible to control.

"We have to learn the lessons of Libya. Clearly armaments sent from NATO and the U.S. have now found their way into unexpected places including in Mali, where those arms are playing a role in what is clearly a rebellion in the northern part of the country," Woods explained.

Others argue the timing¹¹ is wrong for the United States to get heavily involved in Syria. 

"We strongly support sanctions, pressure on the regime, non-lethal assistance for the opposition, diplomatic support, humanitarian support. But at this point we oppose arms, and we oppose direct U.S. intervention," said James Phillips, a Middle East analyst¹² at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Government opponents say they are ready to test Syria's government by staging peaceful demonstrations¹³. Massive protests led to the government crackdown last year as violence spiraled. 

1 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

2 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

3 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

11 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。